Completely Silenced! Dead Confederate Artillery Men, As they lay around their battery after the Battle of Antietam.

The affordability of the carte-de-visite form meant that it was used in a wide variety of ways, including to reproduce works of art and photography. During and after the Civil War, this included the work of the most famous photographers of the conflict, Mathew Brady (1822-96) and his associates. This carte-de-visite, one in an “album” released by Brady, reads “Completely Silenced! Dead Confederate Artillery Men, As they lay around their battery after the Battle of Antietam.” Though the “authenticity” of Brady’s photography has been questioned throughout the years, due to the moving and placement of bodies and equipment to create a desired scene, there’s no doubt about the strong effect it had on viewers. Brady also knew the value of his work, putting a copyright disclaimer on the back to keep others from reproducing it. Reproduction without permission—often without even proper credit to the photographer—was a common practice in the early years of photography.